Just This Once
by Lolli Soda Pop
Summary: This is my interpretation of what should have happened in Hyrule Warriors with Cia's final battle. A little sweet, because I think Cia deserves a better chance.


**The following events take place in the non-canon Hyrule Warriors just as Cia is to be defeated in her final battle with Link in the Valley of Seers. This is my thought on how this should have taken place, as I feel pain for Cia and believe she deserves another chance. Please Review!**

"CIA STOP IT!" Lana screamed "Please…Cia, you don't have to do this."

"Don't you get it? Lana? Hah. I know you want him all to yourself! You're just trying to trick me so that I'll let my guard down!"

The twisted sorceress stood proud across from Lana and the rest of the Heros. Her dark staff at the ready for a fight.

"No Cia. I…yes it is true that I have the same desires as you but this is too far! You need to accept-!" "NO! I WILL NEVER ACCEPT IT!" she struck her staff down and cracked the steps below her in pieces, Lana could see that she was only angering Cia further.

"Cia it doesn't have to be like this! You've been corrupted by Ganondorf's will!"

"HA!" Cia spun around, her back now to the warriors, "Corrupted? You think so?" Cia threw he head back in laughter.

"No…I think not Lana…the only corrupt one here is the tart wearing the crown."

Zelda's breath hitched as she understood she had now been brought into the conversation.

Cia strode across the steps, her staff spinning steadily on her fingers.

"What do you mean corrupt? I have done nothing to you." Zelda responded.

Cia chuckled, "Nothing? NothING? YOU WANT TO CALL PAIN AND SUFFERING NOTHING?!"

The evil sorceress clicked her foot down into a ready stance and brought her staff to the ready.

"YOU TAKE HIM FROM ME EVERYTIME! So this time…I will take EVERTHING FROM YOU INCLUDING YOUR LIFE!" Cia began a demonic chant as dark clouds began forming around the head of the staff. Dark magic holograms bared her sides and a spell's construction rotated around her.

"We have to stop her! She's going to kill herself with all that power!"

"Lana, nothing we do is working." Impa made an obvious point, "we have no choice, she must die either at her own hand or at ours."

Wiping a tear from her cheek she gazed back at Cia, her eyes glowing and mist surrounding her feet as she charged her chant louder.

"Okay…Zelda, take me up on the right, when I say the word we charge and over take her." The princess nodded.

"Wait, Zelda." She turned to Link, "what?"

"I've got a better idea." He glanced over at Cia as she began levitating off the steps, she was shaking with dark power now.

Zelda looked between the two of them, she could see something in Link's eyes she had never noticed before. Some kind of longing…pity perhaps. She threw away the idea once he turned back to her, it was a stupid thought anyway, how could Link feel bad for somebody so twisted?

"Do you still have the Lens of Truth?" the three other warriors were puzzled.

"Yea. I don't understand why you need it though, she's not a disguise."

"May I have it?" Zelda reached into her satchel attached to her thigh and handed the Lens of Truth to the Hero of Legend.

Link stepped back a few yards and aimed himself in line with Cia's clouded figure and held the lens up, not activating it, but rather, observing through it. His sight though was one he didn't expect to find. I was Cia's figure, just a silhouette, no magic or mist. But the striking difference was the white glowing center. An orb of light glowed in her chest, the rest of her body, dark purple and black like it was infected. Link lowered the lens and put it into his own satchel.

"Lana, Impa, Zelda, I think there may be another way."

Zelda didn't care for the sound of that but listened anyway.

"I know what I'm about to do is crazy but dammit so is everything we have done up to moment! So just trust me and roll with it."

The three women looked back and forth between each other and lowered into a battle ready stance. "Okay, here goes nothing."

Link dropped the master sword and charged Cia with a battle cry.

"Triforce of Courage, Power, and Wisdom, give me the will and strength to save this girl!"

Cia screamed her last few words and released the spell just as Link lunged, his arm out stretched, his brows furrowed in concentration. He saw a circle band of light fly from Cia's eyes and mouth, a moment later a rippling wind combed his hair.

His fingers made contact with Cia's chest, then his wrist, and now somehow his elbow. Link closed his eyes and took in what he thought to be his last breath.

He heard silence, absolutely nothing. He released his tension and opened his eyes one at a time.

Darkness…a dark void of nothingness, no light, no visible floor, the scenario seemed 'familiar' and in his gut Link felt at ease, but like something wasn't right here. He pulled the lens of truth out once more and gazed through the glass. He could only see a sole glow in the distance.

With no other lead, the hero got acquainted with his new environment and began the distance to the other side.

His boots clicked against what sounded like stone but there was none. It seemed like an hour had passed of hearing nothing but the clacks and shuffling of his boots and his chainmail before he heard the resonating cries of some distant crying. Link suddenly felt the need to run to the origin of the sound, the distant light becoming evermore clear as he approached. The cry was louder with each step until he could make out the figure. He stopped dead in his tracks.

There at the edge of the darkness was a woman clad in dark purples and blacks, her left leg exposed and red feathers flaring from her right shoulder. Her hair was silver and he spied her headdress cast to the side. Yet she bore no scepter. Link easily could see it was Cia, curled up in a fetal position with her eyes closed and her fingers clenching into the roots of her scalp. White droplets of tears ran down her cheeks, she was shaking as though she was cold in the darkness that engulfed her cries.

Link swallowed and stepped closer, she didn't seem to notice his presence yet. He crouched down to her level and outstretched his arm to graze her knee.

Cia's eyes shot open to see everything she dreamed of, but this reaction was different than she imagined. Fear covered her mind and she shot back into the void, away from Link.

"N-no…don't h-hurt me…please…" her sobbing continued as she tried to gather her senses.

Link backed off for the moment and gave a peaceful, kind look in her direction.

"Cia…I won't hurt you, I promise. I think you have been hurt enough." He reassured her.

He began to come closer once more but she only shuffled back further.

"I know what you want Cia…and I understand the pain you feel."

"How could you? You always end up with Zelda, you are never alone" gleaming tears continued down her face.

"It won't be that way this time Cia." Link inched his way closer to her faded figure.

"How could it not be? That is how destiny is…it is a cruel fate…there is nothing we can do to change that." She buried her head behind her knees and wrapped her arms tightly around them.

Link exhaled and got closer before crouching down once more. He took one more deep breath.

"You with the sad eyes…don't be discouraged…" Cia didn't react.

"though I realize…its hard to take courage…in a world full of people…you can lose sight of it all, the darkness inside you can make you feel so small…" she looked up slowly to meet his sympathetic smile. Link reached out and caressed her cheek, whipping away a falling tear. Her cheek was warm despite the chilled environment and the contact began to shine.

"You've taken all you can bare…Cia…let's see your true colours." she didn't break contact, shocked by the words. The glow in her cheek had spread by now, her face paler with wise magenta eyes. Her hair was deepening to a light lilac.

"Don't be afraid to let them show."

Link placed his other palm on her knee and the colour began to spread through to her legs and dress. He raised her up and let her see the magic aura she wielded. Her clothes now similar to that of Zelda's, lacey and white with a pink gold trim. Her sleeves longer and flared out at the end with a fiery magenta neck piece and a long petal like skirt. Link bent down and lifted her head piece up and over to place it. The piece immediately began to change to compliment the rest of her new look. Even the scenery seemed to change to that of clouds and a blue sky.

Cia smiled politely and nodded.

"Thank you Hero…you have once again won my appreciation with your courage."

Link gave her a smile and pulled her in to a hug. Cia, wide eyed and surprised took a moment to truly understand his intentions and chose to only enjoy it and close her eyes and take in Link's scent for the first time.

"UhUM!" Link and Cia both realized they were now standing back on the steps of the Valley of Seers, Zelda and Impa upright in front of them but Lana was nowhere to be found.

The two separated and Link blushed slightly.

"What happened?" Zelda asked.

Link scratched his head nervously.

"Link helped me realize that I was in need of something more than just a lover. I must apologize for my crime." Cia continued, "I was still under that influence of the darkness that persuaded me some time ago. But I have come to realize I was mistaken. My love for Link will never fade, but I understand that there are some things that even sorcery cannot change."

Zelda looked confused, "So you are Cia…"

"Yes, I am the true Cia, guardian of the triforce. It is my responsibility to watch over you, not interfere, I understand that more than ever now. There fore I shall make peace with this fact and return to fulfill my obligation." She seemed refined, mature, a good balance of duty.

"I see."

Link finally seemed to snap back into reality, "Zelda, I have a request of you."

"Hm?"

"Well…if it is alright with you, I would like to continue my journey with Cia." The sorcerous went wide eyed and faced back to Link.

"Cia? Well I-…If that is what you desire, then I am not one to stop you from fulfilling your own wish."

Link gave her a smile and nodded in thanks.

"Wait but Link!" Cia collected herself again, "I don't understand, your destiny is to be with Princess Zelda."

"Well, if what you say is true, that Zelda and I are a continuing pair of spirits that unite every time Hyrule is in its darkest hour, then what's the difference if we stray once from the same routine."

"B-but! It could have far reaching consequences."

Link shrugged, "I'll just have to be willing to take that chance this once, everyone deserves a second chance and an opportunity at happiness."

Cia smiled and let a tear fall at the sound of his words of kindness.

"Very well…just this once."


End file.
